Only one team can advance from the SaskTel Northern Men's Playdown undefeated and that team was the Kevin Marsh team of Saskatoon.
Team Marsh beat Ted Phenix, Mark Lane and two other teams, which later qualified for provincials skipped by Josh Heidt and Brad Heidt. Marsh beat Brad Heidt with his final rock in an extra end Saturday to earn the first provincial spot of five.
The playdowns were held in Kindersley on the weekend and the A side qualifiers advance to the SaskTel Provincial Men's Championship in Melfort Jan. 30 to Feb. 3.
The lead for Kevin Marsh is Aaron Shutra, who is from the Battlefords. His family still has strong ties to curling in the community and is involved in curling with the Twin Rivers Curling Club.
Matt Ryback is the third for the team while Dan Marsh is the second and Brian Shutra is the coach.
Marsh's team qualified for the Tankard last season as well after earning a B event berth. Last season Marsh failed to make it to the playoff round at provincials after going 2-3.
Along with Marsh and the Heidt teams, two other rinks advanced from Kindersley to provincials, as Michael Carss and Randy Woytowich advanced from the C event.
Advancing to provincials from the southern playdowns in Estevan were William Coutts, Jeff Hartung, Brock Virtue, Brent Gedak and Chris Busby.
Darrell McKee, Bruce Korte, Jamie Schneider, Steve Laycock, Randy Bryden and Max Kirkpatrick all qualified for the Men's Tankard earlier in the season after tour events.
Last year's defending provincial champions, which curled out of the Battlefords, Scott Manners was eliminated in the C event in Kindersley meaning there will be a new provincial champion and Saskatchewan representative at the Tim Hortons Brier in Edmonton in March.
